The ability to manage a product and its lifecycle could be a decisive factor and the difference between success and failure of your organization.
After all, it is all about managing the life of a product from its infancy till expiration, which consists of different stages like ideation, design, manufacturing, launch, service, and disposal.
A concept quite familiar in the business and manufacturing world, PLM or product lifecycle management serves as the main force that drives fundamental operations, improves collaboration and communication, and triggers innovation.
However, the implementation of PLM software could pose to be a challenge at times when one is unversed in it and unfamiliar with the complexities of planning and execution.
Through this article, let’s try to explore the fundamentals of implementation strategy and the crucial role of planning and execution that is responsible for the success of PLM software.
We will focus particularly on agile PLM, Oracle Agile, and the strategy to implement agile product lifecycle management seamlessly and effortlessly.
Comprehending the Importance of PLM Software
PLM software is a solution or software that manages the various aspects and stages of a product’s life cycle till the point the product retires from the market.
It is the integration of people, processes, operations, data sets, business systems, and tools within an organization that gives life to a product.
There are several benefits of PLM software because it tends to be substantial when it comes to reducing the product launch time and improving the quality.
The much-required communication and collaboration between departments is another factor that signifies the salience of PLM software and how it closes down silos. Silos could potentially ruin a product with no margin for cross-department communication and collaboration.
The Implementation Strategy for PLM Software
It is now more than essential to approach PLM implementation with a clear strategy and a deep understanding of the concepts and organization’s novel and specific needs and challenges. Let’s begin with the implementation strategy:
Step 1: Define Your Objectives and Requirements
Before commencing the first step, it is important to note that the implementation strategy is an elaborate one and requires thorough work, planning, ideation, and execution to achieve concrete success.
The first step in implementing PLM software is to clearly mark out and define your objectives and requirements. These objectives, agendas, and goals vary from organization to organization, business to business, and industry to industry.
You must have an understanding of the specific problems your firm is facing and that you want the PLM system to solve. Demarcate the goals that you wish to achieve and how the PLM software fits your canvas, existing processes, and data sets.
When we talk about collaboration, the first step towards implementation involves the engagement and interaction of stakeholders from across the organization.
You must take engineering, manufacturing, design, supply chain, and all the relevant departments together to ensure the success of execution.
PLM software gives way to rapid innovation, and its variants may provide avenues for that. You could be looking to manage complex product data, and an agile PLM approach may be particularly beneficial in that cause.
Agile PLM solutions, such as Oracle Agile, could offer the necessary support and flexibility to adapt quickly to the changes a market is undergoing and the customer needs fluctuating.
In short, identifying your needs could help you better interpret the dynamics of a fluctuating economy and consumer demands.
Step 2: Choose the Right PLM Solution
As a part of the implementation process, picking and choosing the ideal PLM software is integral to the success of the overall process. This could be a tough decision to take as there are many options available in the market to suffice the needs of an organization.
Each solution or software has its fair share of opportunities, strengths, and weaknesses. The key is to choose a software or PLM solution that answers most of your queries, concerns, needs, and requirements.
Factors like scalability, integration capabilities, ease of use, and support could also make it to the list.
Oracle Agile PLM is considered an industry-favorite and popular choice of most businesses as it guarantees the necessary agility, robustness, and scalability an organization requires.
In short, Oracle Agile is designed specifically to manage the entire product lifecycle for companies that are operating in dynamic environments and avenues like high-tech, life sciences, and consumer goods.
The agile product lifecycle management approach is supported by Oracle Agile an approach that promises agility and enables organizations to quickly respond to market changes. It is also helpful in managing regulatory compliance and driving innovation.
Step 3: Develop a Detailed Implementation Plan
The implementation plan is the essence of the entire process because it will outline the key phases of the project, namely, system configuration, data migration, user training, and system testing.
For this purpose, the organization should first of all assign a dedicated project team that is well-acquainted with defined roles and responsibilities to oversee and monitor the implementation process.
An effective implementation plan is the one that takes into account:
- A timeline that represents realistic and achievable milestones and achievements
- Potential process bottlenecks that could hinder the productivity of the process and
- Probable challenges or dependencies of the process.
Step 4: Ensure Data Accuracy and Integrity
Data and its accuracy are the two most fundamental and integral components of PLM software and its implementation, upon which the success rides.
It is the lifeblood of any PLM software system. It is the responsibility of the implementation team and the entire organization to maintain data accuracy, integrity, and sanctity for the smooth implementation process.
The team may have to take care of cleansing and standardizing the existing product data before migrating it into the new system. In the event of inaccurate or incomplete data transfer, significant damage could occur down the life, causing the entire system to plunge into failure.
It could also lead to increased product costs, manufacturing troubles, and overheads. Compliance issues could also arise because of data inaccuracy and negligence.
Step 5: Integrate PLM with Other Enterprise Systems
Nothing substantial could be achieved by operating in isolation. Integration is the key to success in the business world and especially PLM software implementation.
To reap the maximum value of your PLM software, the implementation team must integrate it with other enterprise systems, such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES).
Integration not only enables seamless data flow between systems but also minimizes the need for manual data entry and the risk of errors.
Step 6: Focus on User Adoption and Training
A probable and common reason for implementation failure is the lack of user adoption, training, and literacy of the PLM software itself. Being the lead or in charge comes under your umbrella of responsibilities to train people how to use PLM software.
If the user fails to adopt the new technology, there is entirely no point in introducing PLM software and making a huge investment.
Therefore, it is the organization’s responsibility to make measures for user adoption and provide avenues of training before embarking on the PLM journey.
Make people comfortable with the process and platform and guide them on how to use it to leverage its capabilities and potential.
Step 7: Monitor and Optimize Performance
Once you are done with the initial implementation and its prerequisites, your job is to continuously monitor the performance of your PLM software and make adjustments to it.
Your job is far from over at this stage because tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) will give you an idea of how successfully you have managed and implemented the PLM software. You will monitor factors like time-to-market, product quality, and cost savings.
In addition to these, regular system audits and user feedback will further enhance the impact of your implementation and PLM software. It can help identify areas for improvement, such as additional training needs or system configuration changes.
Conclusion
Having said that, implementing PLM software is definitely a complex but rewarding task. The success of implementation is reflected in your entire product lifecycle.
Whether you want to improve the product development processes, enhance collaboration, or drive innovation, PLM software is the way to go about it.
By following a structured approach to PLM implementation you too can reach mountains that you deemed impossible.
Allow Xavor to help you choose Oracle Agile PLM or another solution for careful planning, data accuracy, user adoption, and continuous optimization. With agile product lifecycle management, Xavor will take your organization ahead of your competitors and help you achieve long-term and sustainable success.